Chinese grammar · Beginner (A1)
Adjectives and 很
Chinese adjectives work like verbs: 我很好, with no 是. How to use 很, 太…了, 有点儿 and 不, and adjective + 的 before a noun.
Adjectives work like verbs
In Chinese, an adjective can be the main word of a sentence on its own, without : “the tea is hot” is (chá hěn rè). In a plain statement, put (hěn) before the adjective. Here usually doesn't mean “very”: it just makes the sentence sound complete. (wǒ hěn hǎo) is simply “I'm fine”.
Without , a bare adjective sounds like a comparison: (zhège dà, nàge xiǎo, this one is big, that one is small). In questions with and after you don't need : (Guì ma? Is it expensive?), (bú guì, not expensive).
- 我很好。Wǒ hěn hǎo.I'm fine.
- 今天很冷。Jīntiān hěn lěng.It's cold today.
- 这个大，那个小。Zhège dà, nàge xiǎo.This one is big, that one is small.
- 贵吗？Guì ma?Is it expensive?
How much: 非常, 太…了, 有点儿
Other degree words also go before the adjective. 太…了 (tài … le) wraps around it and means “too” or simply “so”: (tài guì le, too expensive), (tài hǎo le, great).
(yǒudiǎnr, a bit) is for things you don't like: (yǒudiǎnr guì, a bit expensive), but not 有点儿便宜. To ask for something “a bit cheaper”, goes after the adjective instead: (piányi yìdiǎnr).
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (hěn) | neutral; very | (hěn hǎo, good, fine) |
| (fēicháng) | very, extremely | (fēicháng hǎochī, really delicious) |
| (zhēn) | really, so (when reacting) | (zhēn piàoliang, so pretty) |
| 太…了 (tài … le) | too; so | (tài guì le, too expensive) |
| (yǒudiǎnr) | a bit (something negative) | (yǒudiǎnr yuǎn, a bit far) |
| (bú tài) | not very | (bú tài yuǎn, not very far) |
| (zuì) | most | (zuì dà, biggest) |
- 太贵了！Tài guì le!That's too expensive!
- 这个菜非常好吃。Zhège cài fēicháng hǎochī.This dish is really delicious.
- 有点儿贵，便宜一点儿吧。Yǒudiǎnr guì, piányi yìdiǎnr ba.It's a bit expensive. Can you make it a little cheaper?
Not: 不 + adjective
To say “not”, put (bù) straight before the adjective, without : (bú dà, not big), (bù hǎo, not good). is said bú before a fourth tone. (bú tài) makes it softer: (bú tài hǎo, not very good).
Adjectives also make A-not-A questions: (Guì bu guì? Is it expensive?), (Yuǎn bu yuǎn? Is it far?).
- 我的房间不大。Wǒ de fángjiān bú dà.My room isn't big.
- 今天不太冷。Jīntiān bú tài lěng.It isn't very cold today.
- 远不远？Yuǎn bu yuǎn?Is it far?
Adjectives before a noun
Before a noun, most adjectives take (de): (piàoliang de fángjiān, a beautiful room), (hěn dà de shāfā, a very big sofa). Common one-syllable adjectives often go straight before the noun without : (xīn shǒujī, new phone), (hǎo péngyou, good friend), (dà fángjiān, big room).
Colours work the same way: (hóngsè de shāfā, a red sofa). With and no noun, an adjective means “the … one”: (wǒ yào hóng de, I'd like the red one).
| Colour | English |
|---|---|
| (hóngsè) | red |
| (huángsè) | yellow |
| (lánsè) | blue |
| (lǜsè) | green |
| (báisè) | white |
| (hēisè) | black |
| (huīsè) | grey |
| (fěnsè) | pink |
| (chéngsè) | orange |
| (zǐsè) | purple |
| (kāfēisè) | brown |
- 她有一个新手机。Tā yǒu yí ge xīn shǒujī.She has a new phone.
- 这是一个很漂亮的房间。Zhè shì yí ge hěn piàoliang de fángjiān.This is a very beautiful room.
- 我要红的。Wǒ yào hóng de.I'd like the red one.
Describing people
For looks, Chinese often puts (zhǎng de, “has grown”) before the adjective: (tā zhǎng de hěn shuài, he's good-looking). Note that 长 is said zhǎng here, but cháng when it means “long”.
A person can also be described with a noun and an adjective: (tā gèzi hěn gāo, she's tall; literally “she, height is high”), (tā tóufa hěn cháng, she has long hair).
- 她长得很漂亮。Tā zhǎng de hěn piàoliang.She's very pretty.
- 我哥哥个子很高。Wǒ gēge gèzi hěn gāo.My older brother is tall.
- 她头发很长。Tā tóufa hěn cháng.She has long hair.